Super Mario RPG 2: Player's Saga
by Lady Paladin
Summary: Featured on Deviantart and The Twilight Station: Follow a Girl from reality as she plays her favourite game up-close and personal while trying to put the Mario World to the way it's supposed to be.
1. Chapter 1

**Super Mario RPG 2**

_The Player's Saga_

By Angel Warrior Queen

_**DISCLAIMER:** In no way-shape or form do I own the Mario series of games or Super Mario RPG…Though I wish they would make a Second Super Mario RPG_

**Chapter One**

_ The Beginning_

I can't explain it.

I can't explain what happened that had allowed me to come here to this place. The world I had played on my Super Nintendo for years and years. All I know is that one night I fell asleep right in the middle of a game only to open my eyes in a world I have only seen on a TV screen. The World of Super Mario.

But maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. Allow me to tell you the story from my first aware moment in the world I only daydreamed about.

I opened my eyes staring up at the leafy boughs of a canopy of trees, several of which had floated down and had found rest on my face and body. "Whoa momma, whatever I ate before I went to sleep I ain't having it any more." I thought feeling slightly nauseous for reason unbeknownst to myself as I sat up and looked around at my surroundings. What I saw was a thick old forest fairly bright but disgustingly humid and dense underbrush, small mushrooms dotted every bare patch of sandy soil or clung to the oldest of trees like their tiny plant lives depended on it. "Wow, weird dream I decided to have." I confessed aloud to no-one in particular as I stood up brushing the leaves off my body. "Kinda creepy too." I added mentally shivering at the fog that hugged the ground giving the forest an air of gloomy abandon "Well I suppose I can't stay in this place forever…Wonder which way I have to go to get out of here?" with no idea which way to go I eventually decided on a gut feeling to head west in the direction of the afternoon sun that I could barely see through the trees in the hopes of finding the way out of the forest at the very most or a path at the very least. In were several minutes or perhaps several hours later when the oppressive heat and humidity had almost permeated my entire being and I began wishing I had fallen asleep with a pair of shoes on as my bare feet treaded over another sharp stone.

"Ow, Ow, Ow," I winced limping slightly "My Kingdom for a pair of shoes…" I said almost in tears from the pain when I tripped falling head over heels before landing in the middle of a sandy pathway on my rear.

"Ooooowwwwwwwiieee…." I whimpered the threat of tears when I saw what I had tripped on fall before me. It was a pair of dirty old leather boots, looking almost on the verge of decomposition but otherwise looking perfectly useable.

"Hey-_hey_!" I said my exhaustion and pain immediately forgotten as I picked up the boots

"Talk about the best luck ever! They look like they'd fit perfectly too!" after a quick inspection and feeling (to check if any bugs had made a hole inside the boots) I slipped the boots and much to my delight the boots were light soft and very comfortable once I tried the shoes on and found much to my delight that they fit perfectly.

"Geez, who would throw away a perfectly good pair of boots? What a waste!" I thought tapping my foot against the dirt. "Now if only if I could get lucky enough to find the way out of here." I said looking down the path and then up the path again both ways not looking particularly welcoming to a lost and weary traveler and to ad to my dismay the already dismal forest was beginning to get dark. "Ugh this dream_sucks_. How about a break already?!?" I cried to the heavens when the distinct sound of marching feet was heard from behind me. "Excellent!" I thought turning towards the direction of the sound "Maybe whoever it is can tell me the way to the nearest pizza place! I'm starved!" I stood out in the middle of the road waiting patiently when something told me deep down inside that whatever made the sound of footsteps might not be as friendly as I would hope. Keeping this in mind I looked around quickly and before you could say "knife" jumped under a nearby fern and kept as still as I could allow. Where I waited patiently and hoped that no one would notice the tracks I had left in the dust.

I quietly settled in a small depression of earth that allowed me to see through the fern as the ones who had made the sound of footsteps approached my field of vision, which unfortunately only allowed me to see a person's feet but it was all I needed when I saw a small heard of Arrows walking-or to be more accurate hopping on their knocks- into my line of sight and began milling about willy-nilly giggling in high pitched tinny-voices when finally they lined up at the edges of the path. "Dude, what he heck?" I thought half amazed and more confused than ever before when a pair of feet quite literally walked into my field of vision.

"Nyaaaah well did you find him yet???" a Nasal voice asked the little arrows around this strange being. "No sir not yet sir!" the group of arrows chirruped in their various tin voices as they hopped up and down as if to illustrate their point. "Nyah!" the nasal voice snapped in frustration "The boss says to catch him! So we catch!"

"Yes Sir Bowyer!" the little arrows squeaked "He won't get away from us!" one arrow squeaked "Not a chance! We know every inch of the forest like the backs of our fronts!" a second added. "Excellent! Nya! I so happy I feel like shooting arrows at Rose Town!"

"Yaaaay!" the arrows cheered as a hand reached down to pick up an arrow.

"Bowyer!? _Rose Town?!_" I thought nearly panicking in my hiding spot "This isn't a dream it's a nightmare!!" I began to making plans to escape when to my absolute horror a hand reached down and picked up the arrow closest to my face "Nya?? What's this?"

The nasal voice questioned, and before I could even blink never mind move a single gloved hand grabbed me by the back of my baggy red T-Shirt and hoisted me into the air so that I was soon face to face with a bugling-eyed human sized living bow.

"Uuuh Hi?" I said weakly.

"Nyah Nyaaaah! What's this?! What is this _thing?!_" Bowyer said glaring at me with one of his goofy googly eyes while jerking me out for the little arrow-men to see.

"Oooh it's so_ugly!_" the little arrows twittered

"It certainly does Nyat belong here! What should we do with the thing?!" Bowyer asked

Shaking me till the nausea from before had returned with full force.

"Boil it!" one Arrow suggested

"Mash it!" another cried

"Stick it in a Stew!" three others added

"Heheheh How about letting me go with a stern warning?" I squeaked nervously.

Bowyer and all his arrow flunkies began to laugh as if what I had said was the funniest thing in the world "Heee this thing is funny Nya? Let's show it to Smithy he'll like it Nya!"

"How about you give her to me right this minute Bowyer!" a voice much deeper then the tinny high-pitched squeaking of the arrows calmly ordered. Bowyer turned still holding me up by the back of my shirt to see a wooden man in a blue cap and cape holding out a long rifle barrel that seemed to be growing out of his arms.

"Geno…" I gasped in amazement

"Nyaaahahaha! So the banished star finally show's itself! Smithy wants you for his furnace Geno Nyah." Bowyer laughed cruelly. "_Banished_?" I thought more confused then ever before. Geno grimaced angrily as a small _click_ was heard from inside the rifle barrel

"Then he can come and get me himself!" Geno replied firing a barrage of small metal pellets right in Bowyer's face.

The effect was two fold. One Bowyer dropped me so he could clutch his injured face

The second was Bowyer screaming at his pointy headed flunkies to capture us both or be turned into slag metal. I wasn't too certain about the last part as I was running towards Geno as fast as my legs could carry me.

"Are you alright?" Geno asked me as I slid to a halt

"Oh yeah, scared out of my wits and confused as heck, I'm just _fine_." I snapped sarcastically. Geno didn't respond instead he grabbed my arm with his free hand and began running down the path tugging me along like a ridiculous sack of grain.

"Do you mind explaining what in the heck is going on?!" I howled at Geno barely able to keep up with Geno's pace. For an overgrown child's plaything the wooden man could certainly run when he had too "When we can get away from Bowyer and his Flunkies." Geno replied pausing as we came to a four way crossing looking around wildly as if trying to remember his route "Blast, this forest always gets me turning around…" Geno grumbled when we both heard a loud whistling noise almost like a teakettle.

"Lookout!" I yelled pushing Geno into the bushes as an arrow fell almost exactly where we had been standing moments before.

We both stared as the arrow slowly disintegrated into dust before walking back out onto the path again. Geno looked at me "Thank you." He said. "No probs." I replied blushing a little in embarrassment. We quickly got our feet and got back onto the path. "This way." Geno said pointing down the path to the right of us before taking my arm and jogging down the path until we came across a large old stump.

Geno let go of my arm only to walk up to the stump and kick it hard. Despite my first impression of the stump the sound it gave was quite hollow as the top of the stump fell in.

"Hurry get in." Geno said pushing me towards the stump. "But-" I started before we both heard the same whistling noise I had heard earlier this time louder and in greater amount.

Geno quickly pushed me into the hollow log falling in behind me himself as a large amount of arrows rained down on the clearing. No arrows followed us down the tunnel in the hollow log because of the spring trap that closed the opening behind us making the hollow stump look like an ordinary solid stump once again.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: The Explanation and a Name

You think falling is pretty bad? Try falling with someone right behind you, their flailing limbs striking you accidentally as they struggle to retain some sort of balance in a momentarily zero-g environment and add this all up by doing it in the pitch black darkness and you get something that is truly terrible.

Thankfully this ordeal was short lived as both Geno and I finally landed on a springboard which cushioned the fall enough for us not to break anything but hard enough so we bounced off of it and landed in a tangled heap of arms and legs in the red-brown dust.

"Did anybody get the license of that truck?!?" I said dizzily as the world spun into focus.

Where we had landed was actually a smallish burrow underneath the earth, it was Spartan in its furnishing with a table, two chairs a small bed and a shelf full of materials to clean and repair broken items with. A Small lamp hung from the rocky ceiling shining light in the room and a bit into the tunnels beyond it.

"Welcome to Homebase." Geno said getting up slowly rotating all his joints to see if they all still worked. "Sorry about the ride but it was best we got underground quickly."

I sat up and glared at Geno as hard as I could trying to suppress the giggling little fan girl inside that demanded that I hug him instead. "I suppose you'd like an explanation."

"Well gee you think?" I said sarcastically getting to my feet and brushing off imaginary dust off my clothes "But really does it matter? This is all some dream I'm having thanks to something I ate and too many video games." Geno blinked staring at me with his large blue eyes before reaching over and grabbing a small amount of flesh on my arm to pinch

"Yeow!" I yelped swatting Geno's hand away. "What the heck was that for?"

"You felt pain right?" Geno asked "Darn tootin I felt pain!" I replied sourly rubbing my offended forearm "Well then you're not dreaming." He said turning away to pick something up from a shelf.

"Ahh….Weh….?" I stammered "What's going on?!" I finally screamed. Geno turned to look at me directly "It's a long story but I'll try to explain the best I can." He said before motioning for me to sit either on the bed or one of the wooden chairs. I took a chair and stared Geno straight in the eye. "Start explaining." I said firmly. Geno sighed and sat down on the bed. "You know who I am," Geno said slowly "You this world and the reason I am here correct?" I nodded "You came looking for the Star-pieces, the shattered bits of the Star Road that you and Mario, Mallow Princess Toadstool and Bowser eventually collected from the Smithy Gang and defeated Smithy himself."

Geno nodded sadly "that was what was supposed to happen. But through a series of events history has been changed and we never defeated Smithy in that final battle."

"What?! That is not explaining mister that's more like a verbal attempt to get my head to explode!"

Suddenly the sounds of something hitting the earth came so hard and numerous over our heads that the lantern shook and small streams of dirt and poured down onto our heads as the light danced. "Don't worry Bowyer is just cross about our escape, he doesn't know where we are." Geno reassured me.

"How can that be? I know this story I've played the game hundreds of times!" I cried

"You guys beat Smithy!"

"Well that's also a truth, but you must allow me to explain." Geno said noticing the screwy look of confusion on my face "You see we _did_ defeat Smithy and the Star Road was repaired but no one knew that before Smithy's destruction he sent a minion of his own to the Mushroom Kingdom with one thing in mind. To make a wish."

"So?" I asked

"The Star Road was at it's highest potency after been repaired so much so that even the most impossible wish to make would come true." Geno explained "and the Minion of Smithy made a wish that doomed us all. He wished that in the final battle against Smithy, we would loose." Geno explained. "And it came true?" I exclaimed paling

"Correct, the Mushroom Kingdom has fallen, most of it occupied by Smithy's goons. The people of the Kingdom are refugees hiding either on Yoshi's island protected by Jonathon Jones's pirate crew who swim the seas or in Land's End or the Nimbus Kingdom." I groaned certain I had gotten myself into more trouble then I wanted or needed "Then…" I asked almost afraid to do so "What happened to the others? What happened to Mario Mallow Bowser and Toadstool? I asked almost too afraid to do so.

"I don't know." Geno replied looking more depressed than anyone I had ever seen before "I was the only one to escape."

I groaned burying my head in my heads "This can't be happening. Wait no it can't because it is!" I moaned softly "How did I get here?!?" I said looking up into Geno's wooden features

"Because of another wish." Geno replied "A wish was made, I don't know who made it, that someone would come and restore the Mushroom Kingdom to how it's supposed to be. Someone to fill Mario's shoes." Geno said looking down at the boots on my feet.

"And I believe those are Mario's boots you're wearing."

I looked down and wiggled my toes inside the boots which now looked a little cleaner and a bit less ragged than when I had first put them on. "So you think that's me?" I said

"I know it's you." Geno replied "the boots are one thing but ultimately admitted that you know of this world and you know about me, and you know about the Star Pieces. You my dear young lady are the only one who can handle this situation better than anyone else."

At this moment my stomach made its hunger known quite verbally to the both of us.

"Ah, of course." Geno said sounding unsurprised as he stood up "Wait here. I'll try and get some food for you." And with a slight turn he headed down one of the tunnels.

"Wait!" I called back "What if I refuse?! What if I say no to doing this whole thing?" I asked. Geno turned his head so He could look back on me. "I'm sorry, but I don't know." He said before walking into the darkened tunnel.

I stood up fit to scream with rage, instead I settled for sitting back down and sulking appropriately. I, a wimpy videogame geek, take on a whole gang of metallic monsters? The idea was ludicrous! I didn't even have a clue how to do what Geno was asking of me anyway. How do you save a world?

My thoughts where interrupted when a mushroom-topped teen entered the room carrying a tray of food. "Hey there." The Mushroom-man said smiling "Geno told me about you, here's a sandwich and some kind of soup. I would stick to the sandwich if I were you I don't trust the cook." The man said sliding the tray onto the table. This Mushroom man stood at an impressive muscular build of six foot four easily out-towering my five foot seven stature. "Thanks…Eeeehh" I said struggling for a name.

"Gaz." The young man replied "And you are?"

I paused unsure of whether to give my real name or an alias. Ultimately deciding an alias was better I went for the only name I could think of given my Mario-world related situation. "Player One." I said finally Gaz laughed "'Player One'? Man that sounds like something out of a Videogame, how about we just shorten it down to 'Player'. Sound good?" I nodded when I suddenly remembered where I had heard Gaz's name before

"Uh Gaz, your mom wouldn't happen to run an Inn in Rose Town would she?" I asked

Gaz looked at me "Hey yeah, how'd you know?" Gaz replied

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." I admitted taking the Sandwich and taking a large bite out of it.

"Geno told me you're supposed to be the one who saves the Mushroom Kingdom." Gaz said "That's what Geno told me," I said mouth full of the meager peanut butter and jelly sandwich "But to be perfectly honest I haven't any idea how to do such a thing." I confessed swallowing the bite.

"Well you're supposed to fill Mario's Shoes according to the wish." Gaz said "What would Mario do?" I thought carefully taking another bite "Well I suppose Mario would try and get the….Star…Pieces…" I said slowly my jaw almost dropping.

"Player?" Gaz asked as I stood up. "OF COURSE!" I shouted at the wall after swallowing the second bite. I turned to Gaz, "Gaz where are the Star Pieces?!"

"Smithy's got em, Duh!" Gaz said with disgust "His goons each have a piece in the parts they inhabit and Smithy has the last piece himself." I put the sandwich back on the tray and shook Gaz's hand warmly "Thanks a heap Gaz I gotta go find Geno Bye!" I babbled out before dashing down the tunnel Gaz had come from "He's in the Mess Hall!" Gaz shouted back at me "Just follow the signs!!...eh weird chick, but not bad."

Of course with the luck I've been having since I had entered the Mario world I would just happen to not catch the last thing Gaz said about following any signs so I managed to get pretty lost in a large maze of tunnels in a matter of minutes.

"Great." I grumbled stumbling into an empty storeroom "I'm beginning to think some deity or other has it out for me." I was about to exit the storeroom when I heard quiet voices in the back of the room. Thinking it was someone I could ask for directions to I strode towards the voices pausing only to leap in behind a bunch of crates before Bowyer's Arrow Flunkies could spot me.

"Yay We got in! Bowyer is going to be so proud of us!" One Flunky said cheerfully

"Right, Now listen up Flunkies!" a grizzled arrow said gruffly to the other four "We only have one chance to do this or we're scrapped! We've set up the Bomb that'll signal Bowyer to the rebels hiding spot here, all we have to do is collect Fred and set off the bomb the minute we escape."

"Oh! Oh! Question!" A Flunky cried trying to raise the hand it didn't even have "Why don't we just go tell Bowyer we found the rebel hideout?"

"Fool cause we'd never find it again, you always get lost in the Rose Forest. It's a Law or something…" the gruff arrow trailed off. I rolled my eyes from behind the crates "Of course….Everyone gets lost in the lost forest…Oye." I thought as the lead flunky snapped to attention "Anyway! Move out Soldiers!"

"SIR YES SIR!" the three other little flunkies squeaked lining up in some ridiculous military formation when one of them spotted me through the crates.

"AAAAAAAH! MONSTER!" The flunky yelped indicating my cue to leave. With a large push against the crates I dashed out of the room and down the hall. I presume the crates were hollow because soon after that I heard voices shouting "Stop the thing! Don't let it warn the rebels!" and the hopping noise of Bowyer's flunkies right behind me. Until a few quick turns allowed me to loose the flunkies and instead run headfirst into Geno.

"OW!" I yelped rubbing my head where it had stuck Geno's chest. "Jeez what are you made of, solid oak?!" Geno got to his feet and bushed the imaginary dirt away before offering a hand to me. "What are you doing here?" Geno asked helping me to my feet

"Looking for you!" I exclaimed "Argh, Anyway it doesn't matter, there are a bunch of Bowyer's goons running around and if they find their buddy we're totaled!"

Geno smiled woodenly only because his face wasn't able to move as his pulled out a little cage with an arrow flunky inside it from under his cape "Such as this little fellow I snagged in the mess hall?"

I blinked in amazement "and you say you need my help?" I said staring at the little arrow man in the cage when his friends decided to dog pile me.

"AAAGH!" I yelled grabbing the arrows and throwing the off "Yaaaar! The monster won't stop us on our mission men!!" I heard one arrow yell from somewhere on top of my head. I snatched an arrow off before stomping each one under my leather boot until finally I had grabbed the leader. "Alright you stupid Flunky! I'm not a Monster and I'm not a thing! I'm a Person and a very pissed person at that, so how about telling me where you've planted this bomb I heard you talk about?"

"Ha! You can break me but I'll never talk!" the arrow crowed ridiculously before I decided to shake it wildly "There's a bomb?" Geno asked horrified "Half the population of Rose Town live in the tunnels under the Forest Maze."

"I don't think they really care." I replied watching the little flunky's eyes roll around in its head. "Now where is the bomb?" I demanded of the little pest.

"Ha! Right here stupid Person-Monster!" the arrow chuckled before biting my hand, hard. "YEOW!" I yelped dropping the flunky. The flunkies then gathered around their companion in the cage that Geno had dropped in the confusion "We are the Bomb! Suicide Squad Blow up!" the flunky barked before all five of them began to glow a frightening orange.

"Oh Bum…" I squeaked when Geno grabbed me by the shirt pulling me down a corridor and shielding me with his body just as the flunkies made their exits in a ball of fire.

I coughed violently trying to get the dust and smoke out of my lungs the sun blinding me after having been so long underground with poorer light "Ugh, Geno are you alright?" I asked wiping the dirt from my eyes, just in time to see Geno rise from the dirt a short distance away "I'm alright, good thing I got my cape fire-proofed or I'd be more than a little scorched." Geno replied. I looked around the ruins trying to asses the situation, a positive note was that the tunnel had collapsed around us keeping all danger away from any other people who had been in the caves at least for a short while. The bad news was that there was nowhere for either Geno or I to escape and a certain Bow shaped monster had managed to waddle out of the gloom.

"Nyaaaah! Nice to see you again it is!" Bowyer chuckled.

Geno wasted no time in pulling out the rifle he had used on Bowyer earlier on that very same day. "Time to get your first fight in." Geno said to me "Are you kidding? Look Geno, I don't know what you think I am but-" I wasn't allowed to finish my sentence as Bowyer fired off a round of arrows forcing both of us to separate to duck and weave through rocks and trees while Bowyer laughing maniacally firing hundreds of arrows at us both. I ducked behind a tree just in time for several arrows to bury themselves into the trunk. "Damn, I don't remember Bowyer's aim being that good!" I thought gasping for breath. Suddenly I head Geno cry out and thought the worst, I peeked out from my hiding spot to see Geno pinned to a tree, one of Bowyer's arrows having shot through Geno's right arm.

"Nyah ha ha ha! Win I have!" Bowyer laughed his idiotic bugling eyes rolling wildly

"Star isn't all that smart Nyah is he?" Bowyer said poking Geno in the face repeatedly "face it Bowyer, the Smithy Gang's reign is over. That girl will stop you." Geno replied

"The thing? Nyah! What can a thing do I ask? It can't even fight back." Bowyer replied as he pulled out an arrow "Nyah, destroying you it may be difficult, Nyah but willing to try am I!" Bowyer said firing the arrow with the deadly intent of striking Geno…If it weren't for me kicking it out of the way just in time.

"Well…." I said slowly bringing my leg down and facing Bowyer with Geno behind me as he struggled to pull the arrow from his arm "I have no idea how I did that nor do I particularly care at this point." I said glaring at Bowyer "All I know is that you've had your fun for way to long! I'm taking you out!" I barked at the Bow-shaped monster all the while thinking "Oh man when did I turn into a power ranger?"

"Nyah! Pesky just like that mustache person from long ago!" Bowyer snapped angrily raising more arrows to fire at me. "Methinks I just dove in over my head." I squeaked ducking with my heads on my hands just as the arrows descended on my hide to be deflected by bullets from the rifle nuzzle embedded in Geno's arm. "Keep going I have you covered!" Geno said as the smoke rose from the barrel.

"Err. Right!" I cried before settling to punch Bowyer half a second later the sensation of a broken hand set in "YEEEEEEEEOW!" I screamed grabbing my bloodied knuckles.

"Oowww! Nyah!" Bowyer cried apparently equally as hurt from my punching and I had been punching him before firing off several arrows that blurred past several scratching me before Geno could deflect them. "Well hitting him doesn't work," I thought dodging and weaving back and forth. "What else can I use to beat Bowyer?" then I remembered the boots.

"Well, I don't know if this will work," I thought before leaping out of the path of an arrow before it struck me. "Oh well damned if I do damned if I don't." that was the last thought I had before jumping. And _oh man_ what a jump. To be honest I was still thinking under real world physics which would have meant I would have been lucky to get an inch off the ground, but as you probably know the Mushroom Kingdom works on entirely different physics allowing ordinary people to do very unordinary things which meant instead of going an inch I went almost fifteen feet into the air nearly striking my own head against the branches of the forest canopy before gravity started taking over and sending me soaring down conveniently to land on Bowyer's face before I fell off.

"Woo What a ride…" I said dizzily before returning to my feet. Bowyer stumbled backwards clutching his face. "Keep going!" Geno said as he settled for peppering him with bullets while I continued to kick Bowyer in until a crack formed in Bowyers pseudo-chest and I was able to see a green object glowing from inside Bowyer himself.

"Is that-?" I asked no one in particular "Hurry!" Geno cried spurring me into blind action as I ran towards Bowyer and kicked him in the crack in his chest as hard as I was physically able.

I felt and heard a large_ crack_ and watched miniature cracks spread all over Bowyer before he shattered like a porcelain vase falling apart each individual piece dissolving into a metallic sand until all that remained was a pile of iron sand, a sack full of gold and a bright green star about as tall as I was.

"Wow…we won." I gasped still a little surprised at my newfound abilities.

Geno finally managed to pry the arrow from his arm. "Phew. I'm going to need a few mushrooms to heal that." Geno sighed before walking up beside me. "Well?" Geno asked watching me stare at the Star Piece. "Well I got it, What do I do with it?" I said slightly dazed. "What would Mario do?" Geno asked. "DOES IT MATTER?" I said turning to Geno "I'm not frikkin' Mario!!!" I yelled raising my hands. The star suddenly perked to life flying into my hands much to my surprise. "Oh yeah." I said realizing what I had done "Well get along little star." I said pushing the star into the air where it hovered around our heads for a few moments before we watched the star fly into the sky higher and higher until it disappeared out of sight.

It was hours later when I finished packing a bag full of supplies given to me by the grateful populace of Rose Town who could now return to their homes now that Bowyer was destroyed. "So what will you do now?" Gaz asked watching me slip the backpack onto my back. "Well first and foremost, if I'm going to fight like Mario I need to learn how. So we're up towards the Castle to see if there's anyone there who can teach me how Mario fought."

"And after that?" Gaz asked

"Well Mario couldn't get back all the star pieces by himself." I said "So I know I don't have a chance. I'll look for more people to help us." Gaz smiled holding out his hand "Okay. Look after Geno for me alright? He's my best friend." I smiled back shaking his outstretched hand. "I promise." I replied before heading out the door to meet up with Geno who waited for me by the Rose Town sign, which has seen better days. "Ready Player?" he asked as I walked up beside him

"Let's get going." I replied as trudged out of Rose Town and began heading east. Our first destination, Tadpole Pond or at least what was left of it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

_ Bandit Pond_

"This is **NOT** Tadpole Pond!" I stated to Geno as we stared down the massive swampy forest before us. "Bandit's Way ended up growing up and cutting most of the water off from the Midas River and enveloping the pond scaring off most of the frogs that lived there." Geno explained "The water of the pond grew stagnant and many robbers and bandits ended up making their home in the swamp." I sighed regretfully "This is the only way through to the Mushroom Kingdom isn't it?" I asked Geno nodded his wooden head slowly "Alright then." I sighed again "Well might as well get this over with." I said and with Geno close beside me we matched into the swamp.

As expected, the ground was marshy and wet with very few dry spots making walking a slow and miserable business to slog through at least for the first half hour of the trip eventually exhaustion began to set in and I threw myself onto the first dry patch of land I had seen gasping for breath. "Geno I'm beat! Let's rest!" I wheezed, Geno sat beside me "That's alright. I suppose we could use the rest." He replied not sounding the least bit tired. He then began to pull at his soggy leather boots, usually prying them off in one or two tugs before emptying them of access water and wringing them out before returning them to his solid wooden feet.

"Geno," I said slowly staring at the cotton ball clouds in the sky "Bowyer called you a banished star. What did he mean?" Geno frowned looking very forlorn before turning to me with a very false smile "Oh it's nothing. Smithy's goons have it in their heads that just because I haven't completed my mission of collecting the Star Pieces it means I'm banished from the Star Road." He said in an overly cheerful voice. I sat up about to point out that I could see straight through his falsehood when the sound of a motor reached both our ears. "That sounds like a boat." I commented quickly getting to my feet "Come on we better hide, it could be one of Smithy's thugs." Geno said standing up just in time for a net to come down right on top of him. "Ack! Geno!" I yelped as net filled with its struggling wooden bounty was hoisted high into the weeping willows, at the same moment a swamp-boat zoomed into view and to my surprise the one running the thing was an incredibly fat man with a bulbous red nose a black zigzagging mustache wearing a Yellow hat with a Purple 'W' designated over the brim. "_HERE I GO!!!_" the man cackled with an insane toothy daredevil grin "Wario!?" I cried in amazement before leaping out of the way before the speedboat could run me down. I went splashing into the marsh before a pair of hands grabbed me roughly out of the water and threw me onto the deck of a second Marsh boat "I got-a the girl brother!" a lanky skeleton of a man wearing a hat similar to Wario's this one a deep purple with a blue upside-down 'L' "Waluigi!" I said sitting up before a clawed foot slammed against my back knocking me flat on my chest. "Ey, best be staying still toots or the bosses might be tempted to t'row you overboard." A purple talking crocodile wearing an orange top hat said to me. "Croco. I thought Bowyer got you long ago." Geno replied still wrapped up in the net Croco grinned and swatted Geno in the face with his tail. "I'm hurt Pinocchio, you're cutting me deep here."

"Croco!" Waluigi snapped from the controls of the boat "Don't be just a-sitting there! Tie the girl up or she'll get away!" Croco snapped to attention "Yessir! Don't you worry sir they're not getting away from Croco!" Croco said before pulling out a length of cord and tying my hands behind my back before I was even aware of it happening. Wario pulled his boat beside Waluigi's "Bind their eyes too Croco, I don't want them finding our base." Wario barked, and like that my world went dark as a foul smelling sack was shoved over my head.

I gasped gratefully for the pure air when the sack was finally removed but unfortunately my situation hadn't improved much as I had been placed in a wooden house, actually more of a hut than a house, in front of a regal looking throne that had been damaged beyond repair from broken springs and stained and ripped upholstery and scratched finish, but covered in jewels and surrounded by piles of gold and green frog coins. A throne fit for a Bandit King which seemed to be the title Wario had for himself as he sat rather comfortably in the chair. Geno hung inside the net like the catch of the day in one corner, just above a burning torch just as a hint to what might happen if either of us any ideas on escaping had. "Croco! What did-a they have?" Wario demanded as the purple crocodile came forward tossing my knapsack before Wario. "Not much Boss. Take a look for yourself these mooks ain't even carrying half of what they're both worth."

"Worth? I don't like the sound of that." I thought as Wario began rooting through the bag like a pig through clover "Eeeeh…Some mushrooms and honey syrup some guns for Geno boy there, a few weird looking coins, a map, a stubby pencil and a piece of folded up paper." I turned bright red as Wario pulled the paper out and unfolded it. "Whoa-ho-ho!" Wario said inspecting the unfolded product with a perverted grin. "Hey! Hey-a Geno! You got yourself a fan here!!" Wario said waving the drawing I had made of Geno back when I was in the real world. "I forgot I had that silly thing…" I groaned wishing the floor could swallow me whole. In fact I began wishing I had never even drawn the picture, after all if you draw a picture of someone you like; you want it to be perfect especially if they're going to see it. "S'not bad needs more Wario though." Wario commented before crumpling the picture up and throwing it away much to my dismay

"Hey!" I yelled getting to one knee "It took me three days to get that right!" Wario then turned his gaze to me giving me an evil eye "Whatcha going to do about it?" He said grinning wickedly "Careful Player!" Geno called out in warning, Wario then picked up a half-eaten apple and chucked it at Geno, the fruit bouncing off Geno's head with a sharp clunking noise. "Who asked you Pinocchio?" Wario said "Hey quit it!" I said standing up just in time for Croco to head butt me in the stomach knocking me over flat on my back "Uwahaha! This broad beat Bowyer?! I don't believe it!" Croco laughed when Waluigi stormed into the building from outside looking agitated "Wario, The Blade is overhead." Waluigi said flatly. Wario's crazy grin retired into a surprisingly serious one "You hide our rides?" Wario asked, Waluigi nodded. Wario laughed sliding out of his chair "Well! We-a have nothing to worry about then! Ey Croco, stow these two for later would ya?"

"Sure thing Boss." Croco nodded before grabbing me by the back of my shirt and pulling Geno from his hanging place. "You and-a me kid, we're gonna have a little chat after I deal with some people." Wario said grinning at me before Geno and I were both thrown down a hatch before Croco slammed it shut.

"I think if I keep getting thrown into dark spaces I'm going to develop claustrophobia." Geno said ruefully as I heard him struggle in the dark only dim lighting came through the tiny spaces in-between the floorboards enough to see past the end of my nose but no further "Player I can't seem to get out of this net." Geno said with a frustrated sigh

"I'm not much better." I commented pulling against the ropes that bound my hands together "Hold still." Geno said I then heard a shuffling clunking noise before I felt Geno bump into my back "Player?" Geno asked his voice much louder came from behind me. "It's me Geno." I confirmed before I felt Geno's hands begin to pull and pick at the knots that tied my hands together. "Player? What did Wario mean when he said 'I had a fan'?"

I felt my face heat up. "You mean you didn't see the picture?" I asked my voice unnaturally loud "Nope, Wario was waving the piece of paper around too fast to get a look at it." I suppressed the urge to sigh in relief "Aw, err, maybe Wario meant himself."

There was a few moments silence as Geno processed this information "Ew." He finally said and left it at that as the ropes around my wrists fell away "Alright!" I said rubbing the chafing away "I'll get you out the net in a minute Geno." I said when the sound of many feet over our heads urged our attention.

"So Red. What-a can I do for you today?" Wario's voice said accompanied by the squawking protest of Wario's throne as he flopped onto it. "We have information that the Star along with a girl were seen entering the Bandit Swamp. You know the swamp better than anyone, have you seen them?" a deep commanding voice barked at Wario "Eh, I'm-a not sure you know Reddy boy? We rob so many people who travel through the swamp I lose track-a who's who. Hey Waluigi!" Wario called out in amused impudence "Did-a we see any wooden men or girls today?"

"Nope, not-a one." Waluigi replied with the same amount of impudence in his voice

"He's hiding us?" Geno whispered confused. I stood up and looked around the room till I noticed a light shining off of a bright object. "I'll be right back." I whispered to Geno before heading towards the object, which was a small polished mirror. "Now why the heck is a mirror here?" I thought when a man in a red bodysuit came into view in the mirror. The man's helmet, or head, I couldn't quite tell which, had a single white spike coming out the top, his two black eyes set so close together they almost looked like one single eye with two pupils if he had a nose there was no sign of it as his fishlike mouth took up most of the space on his face with a disapproving scowl, a large double-headed battle axe rested on one shoulder.

"Axem Red. Oh Bugger, I don't think I'm ready to fight the Axem Rangers yet." I thought worriedly "Lord Smithy permits you to have free reign of the swamp Wario. If you're hiding them it will go badly for all of your gang." Wario cackled apparently not bothered by the outright threat "Why-a would I want to hide-a such a beautiful chance for some loot? I mean-a jeez the Star's bounty is easily twenty thousand in coins." There was a clatter and through the mirror I saw Axem Red grab Wario by his yellow collar and hoist him into the air. "I don't know why you'd hide them, but I do know you would if it suited you! So where are they Wario?!" Axem Red said before throwing Wario to the floor.

"'E-ey! None of that now!" Croco's trembling voice cried out. There was the sound of several clicking noises and a sharp hissing noise. "I'd-a advise you to leave." Waluigi said threateningly, in the mirror I saw Axem Red move for his axe when Wario grabbed the hand Axem Red kept his axe in. "Now-a now. No need to get violent. We're-a all friends here." Wario said with his usual wicked grin, Axem Red grimaced trying not to cry out in pain as Wario crushed every joint in his hand. "I promise that-a I don't know where the star or the girl are at-a this point in time, Wario's honour!" Wario said getting to his feet before releasing Axem Red who immediately backed away rubbing his injured limb. "Very well, I'll make my report to Master Smithy." Axem Red growled looking at Wario angrily. "If you have been lying to me I will personally make your piddling little gang regret it."

"Yah, Yah, Don't-a let the door hit-a you on the way out." Wario laughed before Axem Red stormed out of view. I then heard a sharp crack before retreating footsteps.

"Aw, why'd-a he have to wreck a perfectly good door like that?" Wario crowed in mock sadness. I head Croco and Waluigi cackle with laughter as well. "Eh, hurry up willya and fix the door; I'll be with our guests. You stowed them in the potato cellar right-a Croco?"

"Right Boss! But…err how'd ya know?"

"Simple! Because I'm_WARIO!_"

I wasted no more time by the mirror and stumbled back to Geno as fast as I could almost tripping over him in the process "What was that all about?" Geno asked as I tugged at the net's ropes "I'm not sure myself," I admitted "But I think it'd be best if we got out of here fast." Two things then happened at once. One, I managed to pry the knot that tied the net together two the hatch above our heads opened and Wario jumped down nearly causing a crater where he landed, not to far away from us

"Good." Wario grinned focusing his attention on me. "I wasn't-a in the mood to waste time." Before I could respond or for a matter of fact take a breath Wario charged me grabbing me by the throat before slamming my head against the ground (At which point I was thanking whatever Deity in my head at the time for Super Mario Physics) "Uwahaha! No one can beat Wario!!!" Wario crowed flexing his arms over my half stunned body. Shaking off the effects of the body slam I raised one boot with the intent of slamming against his fat stomach, but, if you would consider the fact having taken a rather hard blow to the head, (along with the rest of the body) the world in my eyes was spinning rather badly, so can you blame me that my aim happened to be a lot lower?

"_GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!_" Wario bellowed grabbing is crotch while I got onto my feet and shook my head. "What the heck is wrong with you?!?" I yelled "What-a the heck is wrong with me? What-a the heck is wrong with you!!" Wario squawked at a higher pitch that normal "You don't-a fight like Mario at-a all!!" I stamped my foot in frustration "Darn it, I don't know how many times I'll have to say this but I'll say it again! I'm not Mario I'm **PLAYER!**" I expected Wario to become cross, I expected him to throw me across the room but instead. He smiled, nothing like his normal insane grin and laughed heartily "Ahahaha! I was expecting my old rival back-a from the grave but-a it seems I got-a something better." Wario laughed before gathering his fists. "Listen-a here Player, I'm bored. I'm forced to pony up to a bunch of-a pansy robots and it's been driving me batty. I want-a to look for treasures and fight-a whoever gets in-a my way like when Mario was around."

"I see you must know the wish?" Geno said climbing out of the net "You got it Pinocchio, I figured-a Player here was my goody-goody twin's replacement-a the minute my men saw the two of you approach the swamp." Wario confirmed. I smiled full of understanding "You ween, and you get to pass through my swamp without any more trouble from us. I ween, and I turn you over to the robots and get a nice sum of munny from the Smithy gang." Wario finished

"Well." I replied "Under those terms how can I say no, but on one condition."

"Shoot."

"Geno fights as well for all our stuff back." I said pointing to Geno. Wario blinked in surprise, so did Geno for that matter then Wario laughed harder than ever before "Ahahaha! You got solid stones for a girl! Deal!" Wario crowed throwing a brawny arm over my shoulders in a bear hug that threatened to break my back.

Of course when I made this deal I was expecting Just Wario, Geno Waluigi and Croco after all they were all I had seen I had to presume that was the 'gang'. Of course when I saw the hordes of goombas, Parakoopas ground-koopas and other famous mushroom kingdom monsters I knew better.

"What? Were you expecting just me Waluigi and-a Croco?" Wario crowed as we faced each other in the ring which was nothing but a roped off piece of space in the middle of the wooden huts where the gang resided when not robbing innocent folk, beside Wario Croco grinned exposing his especially sharp white teeth. Beside me Geno snapped the Shooting Star gun attachment to his arm. Waluigi sat by the bell (which was nothing more than a large piece of rusting iron) and the crowds either crowed cheers for Wario and Croco boos at Geno or Catcalls at me.

"Silly me." I said trying to ignore an especially perverted goomba's burning stare at my butt.

"So we gonna get this show on deh, road boss? The boys look antsy." Croco said

"Hold-a on now Croco," Wario replied "eets only fair we have a reading of da rules for our opponents sakes eh?" Wario boasted causing a roar of laughter among his men

"Yeesh a regular sausage factory here." I said under my breath rolling my eyes

"Careful Player." Geno intoned hearing what I had said

_"DA RULES." _Waluigi bellowed out in his nasally voice "One, No hitting below-a the belt." He said giving me a distinct look, "Well _JEEZ _I said I was sorry!" I exclaimed

"Two, You ween when you're standing and you're opponents aren't." Waluigi continued

"That-a is eet."

"Short sweet and to the point." I grumbled

"I'ma gonna _WEEN!_" Wario crowed signaling the start of the battle by tackling me sending us both flying past Geno who dodged back and forth to avoid the miscellaneous barrage of bombs brick, pieces of wood and occasional monster plucked from the crowd. "You beat me once punk but you're not gonna beat me again!!"

"Oh be quiet you Godfather wannabe!" Geno grumbled as his gun barrel unloaded a barrage of star-shaped pellets onto Croco

In an almost instinctual move I rolled onto my back using Wario's momentum against him as I flung him over my head, he wasn't hurt though, merely performing a neat summersault to roll back onto his feet. "Jeez for a fatso you're pretty nimble." I said jumping onto my feet before turning to face Wario. "Eets cause I'ma WARIO!" Wario replied with a ferocious grin as he went about beating my face in with several hard blows before I had enough sense to return the blows into his bulbous belly. Unfortunately that only gave Wario the idea to grab one hand then spin around on his heels while holding onto me like an Olympic athlete doing a hammer throw spinning me around in midair by my arm before letting go flying into Geno.

"Oowww…" I groaned shaking my head "If this keeps up I swear I'm going to think someone is using you hitting me as a running gag." Geno grumbled from under me I quickly rolled off Geno getting to my feet and wiping the blood away from my running nose. "Be right back." I said before charging on Wario who was flexing for his adoring fans…to bad he had his back to me, if he hadn't he might have seen the boot to the head coming.

"Man…It's getting so weird being able to fight like this…" I thought as Wario reached out grabbing my ankle and pulling me to the ground then set about getting to his feet using my stomach as a footstool.

"So… You give up yet?" Wario said watching as I writhed around on the ground in pain.

"Heh…" I wheezed wincing. "I never heard that giving up was part of the "rules'." I said getting up to my knees before Wario aimed a kick into my stomach. "Heh, you say you're name is Player… but-a you still act like that pansy goody-goody Mario!"

"I guess I do." I gasped before giving Wario a dirty grin. "At least I take after a winner."

Wario scowled, I suppose I hit a nerve, because he then proceeded to unload a barrage of kicks and punched onto me at a cracking pace until I grabbed both of Wario's hands and gave him a look that to my surprise caused him to blanch in fear. I thought I heard him whisper something but I paid no attention to it "Enough. I'm tired." I said before kneeing him in his fat gut. Then jumping backwards I took to the air before landing hard on Wario's shoulders then jumping off and aiming a few kicks at Wario's head, avoiding his chest and stomach but still striking it all the same with a few missed blows pushing him backwards. The next thing that happened is still hard to describe, it felt like a mix of the recovery from frostbite and pins and needles all at once, it crawled up my back and down my shoulders and arms until it reached my hands and the sensation became real honest, fireballs that rested in my hands as if they had a real mass but they didn't burn me, oh no but they definitely hurt Wario as I hurled them both at him watching as they exploded on contact.

"Player!!" Geno called out over the muted crowd "Geno! Did you take care of Croco?" I asked as the sky opened up and rain started to fall "He's out cold." Geno replied when I heard a growl from the dwindling fire. A charred Wario rose out of the fire looking especially annoyed. "Oh enough!" I said charging. Wario returned my comment with an insurable roar fists raised both of us getting closer and closer until a bolt of lighting and the roar of thunder hid the finishing blow.

Wario fell over unconscious. A large welt on his jaw from where I struck him.

"….Wario lost…." Waluigi gasped. A surprised murmur flowed through the silenced crowd

"Player!" Geno said grabbing and supporting my shaking body "Geno…did I throw around fire?" I asked dizzily trying to focus on Geno's face. "You did! It was I muttered before passing out.

I opened my eyes to the edge of the swamp. "Nnnngh….Where?" I asked muzzily

"Oh good. You're awake. I was worried for a moment." Geno said from under me, it took me a few moments to realize Geno was carrying me on his back." "Ack! Geno!" I yelped turning red. "Hey, relax, the Pick Me Up hasn't taken effect yet you're going to be a little groggy yet." Geno said cheerfully "Where are we? Wario let us go?" I asked half amazed "By the edge of the swamp, I though it best we leave in a hurry, and as for Wario, he may be a scoundrel, but he's a man of his word too." Geno replied

"_UWAHAHAHAHA!" Wario Laughed his big grin bigger than ever before despite the bruises burns and bandages that covered him from head to foot. "She's a tough little wench, I'll give her that!!" he said to Geno while I slept, my hands wrapped up in linen cloth to be kept clean while the Pick-Me-Up healed my torn bloody knuckles along with the rest of my body. "She kept on hitting even when she couldn't-a hit anymore. Just like Mario." _

"_She may have the same fighting style of Mario, but Player is an entirely different person. You yourself can attest to that Wario." Geno replied closing the backpack after doing his own personal inventory to see if everything was there. "Heh. Yeah, but no better person could replace Mario. I'll be the first to admit that." Wario said fondly. "Yanno, during the good old days, Mario had to slam Wario's head in a car door in order to beat me. Heheheheh…Mario could be a real badass when-a his silly ass morality didn't-a get in the way. Made him a good rival like that." Geno smiled dryly when Wario tossed him a pair of fingerless leather gloves "Give those to her when she wakes up. Then she can at least throw a punch without cutting her hands up again." "Growing soft in your old-a age brother?" Waluigi asked from the doorway where he and Croco were screwing a new door into the old doorpost. "Notta chance!" Wario snapped tossing a gold coin to bounce off his brother's hat. "I just want a more even fight when I get-a to fight Player again!" _

I pulled the gloves from the bag. "Well. Who knew Wario was such a softie?" I said with a smile "a soft hearted scoundrel. Interesting idea Player." Geno said gently as we rested beside an old decapitated road sign that said in faded ink "MUSHROOM KINGDOM: 20 KM"

"I wonder…" I thought putting on the worn leather motorcycle gloves "Who else has been affected by Smithy's control of the Kingdom?" Geno smiled pulling out the old sketch "Hey forgot about this?"

"ACK! Geno! How the heck did you get that!?!? I thought it was crumpled up!!"

"Like I said before Wario's a man of his word. Nice drawing by the way but I think you made my eyes too big."

"Oh God kill me now!!!" I groaned burying my burning face in my hands

"Heh heh heh."

_"Luigi! They're coming."_

_"Good. I want to have a word with my brother's 'replacement'."_

_ **Hoi! Minna-san! your Author Speaking :D Well Chapter Three here, Strongly inspired by Wario Fans and Fireball20xl's Wario Related Fancomic GREED. I always wanted to see Wario in Super Mario RPG I think when it comes to being a bandit, no one beats WARIO! Heheheh anyway nothing inspires me more to write than someone commenting that they liked my work..or that I could improve it! either way if I gets no Comments y'all will be waiting a VERY long time till my next update here:P Ha, Bribery I've been resarching Wario a wee too much. anyway Continue enjoying the story and I'll hopefully be adding more and more as time goes on! **  
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